North Shore & Hibiscus Coast Residents Demand “More Buses, More Often”
1 October 2002

Buses every 15 minutes, better links to the Hospital, and more off-peak services are just a few of the top ranking demands for an improved bus network made by North Shore City and Hibiscus Coast residents to the Auckland Regional Council over the past 2 months.

Since launching its largest ever public consultation initiative for buses, the ARC has been inundated with submissions from locals wanting to have their say on the how the bus network is shaped over the next few years. With the Busway project in full swing, the 2002/03 statutory review of all bus services is critical to the success of the rapid transit system north of the Harbour Bridge.

Following focus group research and an 84,000 mailbox drop of draft route concepts in early August, the ARC has been presenting its proposals to special interest groups and community boards in an effort to gauge exactly what residents require in their bus services.

“The feedback has been fantastic,” says ARC Passenger Transport Committee Chair, Catherine Harland. “We’ve received an extremely diverse range of submissions, from pleas for more friendly bus drivers to a petition from an entire street for a new bus service. As reflected in our draft plans, Albany and Glenfield are emerging as key areas for increased services.

“We need the community to tell us how we can better tailor bus services to meet their needs as we work toward delivering a final Passenger Service Plan that gives North Shore and Hibiscus Coast residents real travel options.”

The first of the new bus services will be implemented late 2003 onwards as contracts expire, with the bulk of the newly bolstered network launching with the busway in 2005/early 2006. The ARC’s vision is for a minimum 15-minute minimum frequency across major North Shore routes within the next 3 years.

“Residents can expect to see a significantly transformed bus network as we introduce a range of new bus service types, such as ‘feeder’, ‘loop’ and ‘direct’ services,” continued Cr. Harland. “But it’s essential that as we begin planning the route detail, we’re making informed decisions. We need to hear from as many people as possible.”

The ARC is taking its concept route proposals on a roadshow over the next few weeks, to answer questions and take submissions from the public:

Massey University Albany, Thurs 3 Oct 10am-4pm; AUT Akoranga, Mon 7 Oct 10am-4pm; Glenfield Mall, Wed 9 Oct 10am–4pm & Sat 26 Oct 11am-2pm; Shore City, Sat 12 Oct, 11am–2pm & Thurs 24 Oct, 10am–4pm; North Shore Hospital, Wed 23 Oct, 10am-4pm, Pacific Plaza Sat 5 Oct, 11am-2pm & Wed 16 Oct 10am-4pm.

Feedback can be submitted via the freepost form on the brochure, by emailing comments to northshorereview@arc.govt.nz, or by engaging in online discussion on the North Shore and Hibiscus Coast Review Forum at

www.rideline.co.nz/feedback. Submissions close on Oct 31.

ENDS

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